JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 10, 2010) - Coming off a turbulent Florida road swing this past weekend, the ETSU women's basketball team returns home to the friendly confines of the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center when the Lady Bucs host Mercer on Thursday night. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

The Lady Bucs, who are currently 8-0 at home this season, sit 1.5 games behind Florida Gulf Coast for first-place in the Atlantic Sun Standings at 14-8, 12-2. Ironically, ETSU's last loss in Johnson City came against the Bears, as Mercer defeated the Lady Bucs 90-79 in the regular season finale last February.

Since that setback back on Feb. Feb. 28, ETSU has dominated its opponents in the dome - winning on average of 18.6 points per game. Over this impressive streak, two games have been decided by five points, while the remaining six have been determined by 18 points or more. Four Lady Buccaneer players are averaging double figures at home with senior and A-Sun scoring leader TaRonda Wiles (Danville, Va.) pacing ETSU at 16.5 points per game.

After suffering a 37-point loss at FloridaGulfCoast last Thursday, ETSU bounced back with a 57-55 win at Stetson on Saturday. Junior point guard Tara Davis (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) led the Lady Bucs with a career-high 23 points off the bench. Davis also finished with four steals and three rebounds in 32 minutes of work against the Hatters.

Meanwhile, Mercer is coming off a tough 87-78 home loss to USC Upstate on Monday night, and enter Thursday's contest with an 11-12, 8-6 record. The Bears, who are the host of the 2010 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball Tournament, are still fighting for one the top two seeds in the single-elimination tournament.

Mercer is led by senior guard Courtney Ford, who ranks second in the league in scoring (17.7), fourth in rebounding (8.2) and fifth in assists (4.2). In addition, fellow senior LaToya Jackson ranks seventh in scoring (13.5) and is coming off a 23-point, 4-assist effort against the Spartans on Monday night.

The series between these two programs is tied a nine apiece with the Lady Bucs taking the last meeting, 81-60, back on Jan. 9 in Macon. The Bears swept the regular season series a year ago; however, ETSU knocked Mercer out of the conference semifinals in Nashville, 82-60.

Fans unable to attend the game on Thursday can catch all the action online courtesy of ASun.TV. To access ASun.TV and live stats, please click on the links above.

In addition, ETSU students who attend Thursday's contest - along with a handful of selected Lady Buccaneer games - will have a chance to win a Nintendo Wii and enter a drawing for a $1,000 cash giveaway, which will be announced at the last regular season game on Feb. 22. Each time ETSU students attend a Lady Buccaneer game, they will have an opportunity to enter the drawing for more chances to win the cash prize at the end of the season against USC Upstate.